North Beach Plantation The twin towers make North Beach Plantation look
like something right out of Vegas, yet this is on the ocean with stunning views. This
is not a full-service hotel but condominium rental. The downside is no restaurant
and no room service but the condos are extraordinary. Rentals are available
from one-to-five bedrooms, complete with full kitchens and living areas. What
North Beach Plantation does have going for it is the Cinzia Spa, a full-service,
17,000-square-foot facility. If you’re there for an hour or your significant other is
there all day, it’s a perfect place to wind down from a long day of golf.
www.northbeachrentals.com
Inlet Sports Lodge This is a brand
new property that goes beyond a
typical full-service hotel and beyond
the ordinary golf experience. The
concierge will arrange your tee times
at Caledonia and True Blue, but if you
want more than golf, you can arrange
fishing or hunting excursions at Inlet
Sports Lodge. If you choose fishing,
you can have your catch prepared
for your dinner in front of you by the
restaurant staff. If you choose golf,
you can have a gourmet breakfast
brought to your room before you venture out on the course. The Lodge’s
restaurant, called Bliss, concentrates
on local seafood and fresh vegetables. Fractional ownership is available along with rentals.
www.inletsportslodge.com
in every sense of the word, from valet
parking to Wi-Fi Internet access to a
fine-dining restaurant. In-room spa
services are available and the hotel
staff will even do grocery shopping
for you, if you are so inclined. Where
golf is concerned, the concierge will
make starting times for you at both
Grande Dunes courses, the Members Course and the Resort Course.
Rooms range from a standard hotel
room to a four-bedroom suite. Waterscapes is the Marina Inn’s evening
restaurant, while Reflections offers
tapas along with signature cocktails.
www.marinainnatgrandedunes.com
Dining
Marriott Resort and Spa at
Grande Dunes Of the big hotel
chains, Marriott has the largest presence in Myrtle Beach. Many of the
405 rooms are oceanfront and each
room has the Marriott signature of
consistently high quality, which include spacious work areas and Wi-Fi
Internet service. The Hibiscus Spa is
full-service and offers specials and
packages. Fine dining is offered at
Ocean’s on 82nd.
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/
myrgd-myrtle-beach-marriott-resort-and-spa-at-grande-dunes/
Marina Inn Located in the Grande
Dunes Resort on the north end of the
beach, the Marina Inn is full-service
Frank’s Opened in 1988 by Salters
McClary, Frank’s has been featured
in Gourmet, Bon Appetit and South-
ern Living. Pierre Culliton has been
the executive chef since the day the
restaurant opened and his cuisine is
international in scope. His version of
She-Crab Soup is a favorite Low-
country dish. The menu is eclectic
and you can get appetizers that range
from butternut squash ravioli to
fried oysters with sweet corn maque
choux. And entrees from prosciutto
wrapped sea scallops to rack of New
Zealand lamb. Frank’s also has a
separate restaurant in the building
just behind the original, named ap-
propriately, Frank’s Outback, which
features outdoor dining.
www.franksandoutback.com
Collector’s Café One of the truly
unexpected surprises in Myrtle
Beach is Collector’s Café, owned and
operated by Thomas Davis. Tucked
away in a strip mall, both the paint-
ings on the wall and the menu items
are works of art. The combination art
gallery and restaurant scores points
on both counts. Davis is a noted local
artist and by his own estimates has
sold 200 or more paintings out of the
restaurant over the years. Executive
chef Carlos McGrigor crafts exquisite
dishes with Mediterranean influ-
ences. From grilled veal fillet medal-
lions to grilled grouper with fennel
marmalade, the Collector’s Café
menu is an even better find than the
restaurant itself.
www.collectorscafeandgallery.com
Greg Norman’s Australian Grille
At first blush, you wouldn’t think
that a restaurant with a pro golfer’s
name on it to be classified as fine
dining. But most things Greg Nor-
man has touched have turned to gold
and this restaurant is no different.
Norman’s Australian Grille is one of
the best restaurants in Myrtle Beach
and that’s not because it’s a weak
field. Norman’s would be among the
best in most big cities. The fare is
wide-ranging from Atlantic salmon
blackened with Tasmanian spices to
Brisbane seasoned filet mignon. And
the wine list, which features Greg
Norman Wines, is extensive. l
www.gregnormansaustraliangrille.com
